Children can make these gift cones for party favors, or to give to their families, friends, neighbors, etc. By varying the color, decorations, stickers or contents these can be made for holidays, birthdays and many other occasions.

Materials:
8 inch square of construction paper
5x10 inch strip of tissue paper
10 inch piece of ribbon
stickers, stamps, markers, etc for decorating
individually wrapped candies, mixes, etc.
glue
scissors

Directions:
Roll the square of construction paper into a cone and glue the overlapping edges together. Trim away the excess paper to make the top of the come level. Glue the tissue paper inside the cone one inch from the top, with the remaining tissue sticking above the edge. Decorate the cone with stickers, stamps, drawings, etc. Fill the cone with candies, mixes, or other small items. Tie the top of the tissue with ribbon.

2 cups flour
1 cup quick oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
? teaspoon salt
1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pumpkin
1 cup chocolate morsels (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F. Cream butter, gradually add sugars, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix well. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Alternate additions of dry ingredients and pumpkin to creamed mixture, mixing well after each addition. Stir in morsels. For each cookie drop ? cup dough onto lightly greased cookie sheet, spread into pumpkin shape, using a spoon. Add a bit more dough to form a stem. Bake 20-25 minutes, until cookies are firm and lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheet and cool. Decorate using icing or peanut butter to affix assorted candies, raisins or nuts. Yield 19-20 cookies.

Children can dance around with these sparklers all day and all night or you can make them to tuck into plants or table centerpieces for a little burst of color.

Materials:
Pencil
Colored tape
Chenille stems
Star garland
Glue

Directions:
• Remove the eraser from the pencil by grabbing onto the eraser and pulling it out. The eraser will not be used as part of this project (it may be discarded).
• Carefully wrap the colored tape around the pencil, making sure it is smooth the entire length of the pencil. (Electrical tape works well for this and is available in a variety of colors.)
• Cut two chenille stems in half so you have 4 pieces about 6 inches long. (Metallic chenille stems give an extra sparkle.)Cut eight pieces of star garland, each one about 6 inches long.
• Fill the eraser hole with craft glue.
• Grab hold of all of the pieces of chenille stem and garland that you cut. Hold them so one end of each piece is even.
• Carefully poke the ends of the chenille and garland into the hole.
• Once the glue is completely dry, bend the chenille stems and star garland so they look like the sparks shooting off of a real sparkler.

You can use red, white and blue colors for independence day or others colors to match your party theme.

Here is a project you can do with your children when the rain finally comes to an end!

Children can create masterpieces in your driveway with this home made sidewalk chalk

Materials;
Plaster of Paris
Powdered tempera paint
Toilet paper rolls, small paper cups or candy molds

Directions:
Mix together one cup of plaster of Paris with one cup of water. Add color to the mixture with powdered tempera paint. Blend well and let stand for a few minutes. Pour the mixture into the molds you have chosen. Set aside and let dry completely. (Drying can take several hours to several days depending on the size of the mold.) Once dry, remove the calk from the molds. Set it aside to dry for approximately 24 more hours.

Here’s a simple but fun science activity your children will enjoy

Materials:
dark blue construction paper
some leaves or other objects
transparent tape

Directions:
Have your child position some leaves (or other objects) on a sheet of construction paper, using tiny pieces of tape on the underside of the leaves (or objects) to hold them down.

Place the paper outside in strong sunlight (on the sidewalk, driveway or table). Leave the paper in the sun all day.

At the end of the day have the children carefully remove the objects. They will discover shapes on the paper. Explain that the sun shining on the paper changed the color somewhat, but the paper under the objects was not exposed to the sun, so the color stayed the same.

1. A doctor and a boy were fishing. The boy was the doctor’s son, but the doctor was not the boy’s father. Who was the doctor?

2. A man started to town with a fox, a goose and a sack of corn. He came to a stream which he had to cross in a tiny boat. He could only take one across at a time. He could not leave the fox alone with the goose or the goose alone with the corn. How did he get them all safely over the stream?

3. Almost everyone needs it, asks for it, gives it, but almost nobody takes it. What is it?

4. A man was driving a black truck. His lights were not on. The moon was not out. A lady was crossing the street. How did the man see her?

5. How many animals did Moses take on the ark?

6. If six children and two dogs were under an umbrella, how come none of them got wet?

7. What always comes into a house through the keyhole?

8. What belongs to you, but is used more by others?

9. What gets wet when drying?

10. What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?

Answers
1. His mother
2. He took the goose over first and came back. Then he took the fox across and brought the goose back. Next he took the corn over. He came back alone and took the goose .
3. Advice
4. It was a bright sunny day
5. Moses didn’t take anything on the ark. Noah did!
6. Because it wasn’t raining
7. A key
8. Your name
9. A towel
10. The letter M

A Memorable Way to Teach Children the Resurrection

As Easter nears, if you are looking for a fun idea to do with your children, give this recipe a try. To be made the evening before Easter, or whenever you want to give this lesson.

You will need:
1 cup whole pecans
1 tsp vinegar
3 egg whites
A pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
zipper baggie
wooden spoon
tape
Bible

1. Preheat oven to 300F

2. Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, the Roman soldiers beat him. Read John 19:1-3

3. Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp of vinegar into a mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30

4. Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11

5. Sprinkle a little salt into each child’s hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus’ followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27

6. So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup of sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16

7. Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God’s eyes of hose whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3

8. Fold in the broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto a wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60

9. Put the cookie sheet in the over, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape td seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus’ tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66

10. GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus’ followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.

11. On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! Explain that on the first Easter Jesus’ followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.

This is good spelling practice for young children.

Write out the words ‘Happy Thanksgiving’ on the top of a piece of paper. Have your child write out as many words as they can from this phrase.

Word Mining Tips:
Some people find it helpful to rearrange the letters they have available in alphabetical order or grouped by consonants and vowels before they begin mining.
Talk to your child about using ‘rhymes’ to help find more words. For example, if they find the word ‘hat’ encourage them to replace the first letter with some of the other consonants available to come up with other words.

1. What kind of key has legs, but can’t open doors?

2. Why didn’t the turkey finish his dessert?

3. Why did the turkey cross the road?

4. Why did the pilgrim cross the road?

5. If April showers bring May flowers what do May flowers bring?

6. Why was the turkey the drummer in the band?

7. Why didn’t the Pilgrims tell secrets in the corn field?

8. What kind of music did the Pilgrims like?



Answers:

1. a turkey
2. because he was stuffed
3. it was the chicken’s day off
4. he was chasing the turkey
5. Pilgrims
6. because he had the drumsticks
7. because the corn had ears
8. Plymouth Rock

Edible Pumpkin Patches

This candy dough works well with plastic candy molds or can be easily molded by children.
Refrigerated candy dough will stay fresh for up to one week.

Materials:
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
4 ½ cups powdered sugar
orange and green food coloring
resealable bags

Directions:
Mix and knead the powdered sugar and condensed milk until they make a soft, pliable dough. Knead orange food coloring into two thirds of the dough and green food coloring into the remaining portion of the dough

Children use walnut sized lumps of orange dough to form pumpkins. Using a small piece of green dough make a stem for each pumpkin.

Tips:
Dough can be colored with other colors and used to make other creations. Children can also mold candies into holiday shapes to give as gifts.

Use some of the apples you have picked to create applesauce, Thanksgiving decorations or Christmas ornaments.

Apple Cinnamon Dough Recipe

An easy craft kids of all ages will enjoy doing and a craft that smells YUMMY! Applesauce and cinnamon mix together to make a great dough for making ornaments, decorations for windows or packages or for giving as gifts.

Materials:

1 cup of ground cinnamon
1 cup of applesauce
1/4 cup of white school glue

Directions:

Add the cinnamon to the applesauce until it is a clay-like consistency. Add the glue. Once the dough is mixed, create shapes with your hands or roll the dough out and use cookie cutters to make all types of shapes. Use a straw to make a hole in the top for hanging. Place the shapes on a piced of wax paper. It will take 3-5 days to dry. Turnshapes over a couple of times each day so they will dry evenly and flat.
Wiggly eyes, ribbon, or glitter may be added when shapes are hard.

Here’s a simple but fun science activity your children will enjoy

Materials:
dark blue construction paper
some leaves
transparent tape

Directions:
Have your child position some leaves on a sheet of construction paper, using tiny pieces of tape on the underside of the leaves to hold them down.

Place the paper outside in strong sunlight (on the sidewalk, driveway or table). Leave the paper in the sun all day.

At the end of the day have the children carefully remove the leaves. They will discover leaf shapes on the paper. Explain that the sun shining on the paper changed the color somewhat, but the paper under the leaves was not exposed to the sun, so the color stayed the same.